Several teenagers were hurt in two separate crashes involving stolen vehicles that occurred within minutes of each other in downtown West Chester, Pennsylvania, early Tuesday, according to authorities. And, police say both vehicles were being pursued prior to crashing.
The first crash occurred at East Gay and North Matlack streets around 12:10 a.m., police said. Surveillance video shows a dark Subaru Outback speeding down Gay Street after midnight.
Police were chasing after the SUV, which had been stolen from Wilmington, Delaware, according to investigators. The Outback struck a fence near the Zazen Nail Spa on the 200 block of East Gay Street.
“I was pretty shocked because they would have to be driving really fast to knock down the fencing and some of the bricks,” Tien Balan, the owner of the spa, told NBC10. “And then I saw all of this rubble from the cars and the lights and stuff like that.”
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Five teenagers were inside the SUV, according to investigators. Police said they also found a gun inside the vehicle.
A second crash occurred only two minutes later about four blocks away on Gay and North Darlington streets.
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Police were chasing after an Alfa Romeo that had been stolen from Malvern, Pennsylvania, according to investigators.
The vehicle crashed into an occupied car and two parked cars.
Four teenagers were inside the Alfa Romeo at the time of the crash, police said.
Eight of the nine teenagers involved in the crashes were taken into custody. Six of the teens were injured but are expected to be okay.
Police said all of the teens involved are from Wilmington, Delaware, and between the ages of 15 and 17. They continue to investigate if the two crashes were related to each other.
The crashes occurred in a downtown area frequented by college students.
“It’s a little upsetting,” Brandon Farkouh, a Junior at West Chester University, said. “This is like a college town. I don’t know why 16-year-olds are stealing cars.”
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